Syllabus: GENERAL STUDIES – I

Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society
 Indian Culture - Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture
from ancient to modern times.
 Modern Indian History from about the middle of the eighteenth century
until the present- significant events, personalities, issues.
 The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important
contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.
 Post-independence Consolidation and Reorganization within the country.
 History of the World will include events from 18th century such as
Industrial Revolution, world wars, Redrawal of National Boundaries,
Colonization, Decolonization, political philosophies like Communism,
Capitalism, Socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.
 Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
 Role of Women and Women’s Organization, Population and Associated
Issues, Poverty and Developmental issues, Urbanization, their problems
and their remedies.
 Effects of Globalization on Indian society.
 Social Empowerment, Communalism, Regionalism & Secularism.
 Salient features of World’s Physical Geography.
 Distribution of Key Natural Resources across the world (including South
Asia and the Indian sub-continent); factors responsible for the location of
primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the
world (including India).
 Important Geophysical Phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami,
Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-
changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-
caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
HISTORY

Indian Heritage & Culture

Indian Art Forms  Medieval Literature

 Indian Paintings  Women Poets of Bhakti

 Classical Dance Forms  Trends in Medieval Literature

 Folk Dance Forms  Modern Indian Literature

 Classical Music Architecture

 Puppetry  Harappan Architecture

 Pottery  Temple Architecture
 Drama/Theatre  Cave Architecture
 Martial Arts  Indo-Islamic Architecture
Literature  Medieval Architecture

 Ancient Indian Literature  Modern Architecture

 Classical Sanskrit Literature  Contribution of Buddhism &
 Literature in Pali and Prakrit Jainism to the Development of
Indian Architecture
 Early Dravidian Literature
 Rock Cut Architecture
 Colonial Architecture & the
Modern Period

Modern Indian History

Middle of the Eighteenth Century  British Policies & Their Impact –

Until The Present Economic, Administrative &
Socio-cultural
 Socio-economic Condition of
People  Socio-cultural Reform
Movements
 European Penetration of India
 Uprisings Against British Pre-
 British Conquest of India 1857

The Freedom Struggle

Revolt of 1857  Swarajists & No-Changers

Growth of Nationalism in India  Emergence of New Forces –

(1858-1905) Socialistic Ideas, Youth & Trade
Unionism
 Political, Economic &  Revolutionary Activity
Administrative Unification of the
Country  Simon Commission & Nehru
Report
 Role of Western Education
 Civil Disobedience Movement
 Role of Press
 Round Table Conferences
 Rediscovery of India’s Past
 Communal Award & Poona Pact
 Early Political Movements
 Participation in Elections to
 Formation of INC Central Legislature (1934) &
 Era of Moderates Provincial Assemblies (1937)
Growth of Militant Nationalism &  Government of India Act, 1935
Revolutionary Activities (1905- Towards Freedom & Partition
1918) (1939-1947)
 Swadeshi & Boycott Movement  National Movement During
 Surat Split World War II
 International Influence  August Offer
 Morley – Minto Reforms  Individual Satyagraha
 Growth of Communalism  Growth of Communalism
Beginning of Mass Nationalism  Peasant Movements
(1919-1939)  State People’s Struggle
 Mahatma Gandhi – His Ideas &  Cripps Mission
Leadership  Quit India Movement
 Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms  Wavell Plan
 Rowlatt  INA & Subhash Chandra Bose
Act, Satyagrah and Jallianwala  Cabinet Mission
Bagh Massacre
 Nationalist Upsurge Post-World
 Non-cooperation & Khilafat War II
Movement
 Independence with Partition

Post-independence Consolidation

Nation Building  Agrarian & Land Reforms

 Partition and Its Aftermath  Industrial Reforms

 Integration of Princely States  LPG Reforms

 Reorganisation of States Polity

 Issue of Official Language  Era of One-Party Dominance

 Tribal Consolidation  Emergence of Opposition Parties
 Regional Aspirations  Emergency: Crisis of Democratic
Foreign Policy Order
 Rise of Regional Parties
 Non-Aligned Movement
 Coalition Era
 Panchsheel
Social
 Wars with Pakistan & China
 Nuclear Policy  Popular Movements

Economy  Communalism
 Indian Women Since
 Planned Development Independence
 Green Revolution, Operation  Naxalism
Flood & Cooperatives

History of the World

Industrial Revolution World War II

 Renaissance  Fascist Aggression & Response

 Discovery of Sea Routes of Western Democracies

 Reformation  Outbreak of the War

 Counter Reformation  Theatres of the War

 European Nations Settle North  US Entry into the War

America  Global Nature of the War
 Rise of Slave Trade  The Holocaust
 American War of Independence  Resistance Movements
 French Revolution  After-effects of the War
 Nationalism in Europe Decolonialisation & Redrawal of
 Rise of Capitalism, Colonialism National Boundaries
& Imperialism  Europe after World War II
World War I  Cold War

 Causes of the War  Rise of Asia & Africa

 Scope & Course of the War  Developments in West Asia &

North Africa
 Russian Revolution
 Spread of Communism
 End of the War & Peace Treaties
 Korean War
 Consequences of the War
 Vietnam War
 League of Nations
 Cuban Crisis
World Between the Two Wars
 Collapse of Soviet Union
 Europe After the War – Fascism Concept, Types & Social Impact
& Nazism of Political Philosophies
 The Great Depression
 Communism
 Emergence of Soviet Union
 Capitalism
 Nationalist Movements in Asia &
Africa  Socialism

 US as a Strong Power

INDIAN SOCIETY

Salient Features of Indian Society

 Diversity (Types – caste,  Unity in Diversity

linguistic, social and religious,  Inequality and Exclusion
race, tribe and ethnicity,
culture)  Family System

 Challenges posed by Diversity  Examples of above.

 Unity
 Pluralism

Role of Women and Women's Organization

 Women's Organisations –  Resurgence of Women's

Empowerment through Action Movement in the 70s: (1)
 19th Century Social Reform Emergence of New
Movements and Early Women's Organisations, (2) Approaches
Organisations – (1) Agrarian and Issues
Struggles and Revolt, (2)  Contemporary Women's Issues
Participation in Freedom & Organisation Response
Struggle  Women's Organisations and
 Women's Organisations Post – SHGs
1947  Challenges faced by Women's
Organisations

Population and Associated Issues

 Basic Demography of India  Changing Age Structure of
 Population Trends in India and Indian Population
their Implications  Demogarphic Dividend: Boon or
 Causes and Effects of Over Bane for India
Population  Population Aging in India
 Challenges of Population  India's Population Policy &
Explosion Initiatives

Poverty and Developmental Issues

 Concept of Development and  Problem of Rising Urban Poverty

Poverty  Poverty Alleviation Initiatives
 Types of Poverty  Policy shift from “Trickle Down”
 Measurement of Poverty – Economics to Inclusive or Pro-
Poverty Line poor Development to Reduce
 Causes of Poverty Poverty

 Poverty as a Social Problem  Relation between Poverty

Reduction and Development:
 Socio-economic Spread of Poverty-Inequality-Development
Poverty Nexus
 Consequences of Poverty –
o Inequality
o Continuation of Vicious
Cycle
o Who are worst affected by
poverty?

Urbanization

 Urbanisation Trends in India  Social Consequences of

and Their Implications - Urbanisation
Demographic and Social  Impact of Urbanisation in Rural
Dimensions Areas
 Factors Driving Urbanisation  Urban Planning and Role of
 State of Service Delivery and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)
Challeges posed by  Reforms Required and
Urbanisation Government Initiatives Taken So
 Problems of Urban Areas Far
 Problems of Slums

Effects of Globalization on Indian Society

 Understanding Globalisation –  Globalisation & India

Its Different Dimensions  Impact of Globalisation on India
 Globalisation & Culture - - Socio-cultural, economic, on
Homogenisation vs. women, agrarian sector etc.
 Glocalisation  Does Globalisation cause
 Factors Driving Globalisation Poverty?

Social Empowerment

 Which are the Socially  Government Initiatives to Aide

Disadvantaged Groups? Social Empowerment
 Dimensions of Social
Empowerment

Communalism

 Communalism – Its  Consequences of Communalism

Characteristics  Measures to Control &
 Communalism in India in the Eradicate Communalism
Past  Secularism as an Antidote to
 Communalism in Communalism
Contemporqary India
 Causes of Communalism

Regionalism

 Consequences of Regionalism
 Concept of Region &
Regionalism  Federalism & Regionalism

 Different Forms of Regionalism  Role of Regional Parties

 Regionalism in India  Measures to Contain

Regionalism
 Causes of Regionalism
 Regionalism in the International
 Concept of 'Sons of Soil'
Sphere

Secularism

 Concept of Secularism  Uniform Civil Code

 Indian Model of Secularism  Challenges faced by Secularism
 Secularism in India in India

 Nature & Practice of Secularism  Measures to Make India Truly

in India Secular

GEOGRAPHY

Salient Features of World's Physical Geography

Geomorphology  Temperature & Salinity of
Oceans
 Origin & Evolution of Earth
 Movement of Oceans – Waves,
 Interior of the Earth Tides, Currents
 Distribution of Continents & Climatology
Oceans
 Plate Tectonic Theory  Earth’s Atmosphere –
Composition & Structure
 Distribution of Earthquakes &
Volcanoes  Solar Radiation, Heat Budget &
Temperature
 Rocks & Rock Cycle
 Atmospheric Circulation &
 Geomorphic Processes – Weather Systems
Endogenic & Exogenic
 World Climate (examples)
 Landforms & their Evolution
Soil Geography
Oceanography
 Soil & Soil Contents
 Hydrological Cycle
 Process of Soil Formation
 Seafloor Spreading
 Soil Forming Factors
 Ocean Floor Configuration
 Types of Soils (examples)
 Soil Erosion & Conservation

Distribution of Key Natural Resources Across the World

Types of Resources  Integrated Water Resources

Management
 On the Basis of Origin,
Ownership, Exhaustability etc. Agricultural Resources

Land Resources  Types of Farming

 Land Utilisation  Cropping Patterns

 Land Use Pattern  Contribution to Economy,

Employment & Output
 Land Degradation &
Conservation  Food Security

Forest Resources Mineral & Energy Resources

 Types & Distribution –  Classification of Minerals –

Grasslands, Forests etc. Ferrous & Non-Ferrous

 Causes of Depletion  Occurrence of Minerals

 Conservation of Forests  Conservation of Minerals

Water Resources  Classification of Energy

Resources – Conventional &
 Marine & Freshwater Non-Conventional
 Water Scarcity & Need For  Occurrence of Energy Resources
Conservation  Conservation of Energy
Resources

Factors Responsible for the Location of Industries

Classification of Industries  Power

Location & Distribution of the  Transport

Industries on the Basis of  Water

 Raw Material  Communication

 Labour Distribution of Major Industries –

Iron & Steel, IT, Cotton Textile
 Market
 Capital Agglomeration & Footloose
Industries
 Land
 Grants & Financial Incentives

Important Geophysical Phenomena

Earthquakes Volcanoes

 Why Does Earth Shake?  Types of Volcanoes

 Earthquake Waves  What Causes Volcanoes?
 Shadow Zone  Volcanic Landforms
 Types of Earthquake Cyclone
 Measuring Earthquake  Tropical Cyclones
 Effects of Earthquake  Anti-Cyclone
Tsunami  Extra Tropical Cyclones
 What Causes Tsunami
 Effect of Tsunami
 Mitigating the Impact of
Tsunami

Geographical Features and their Location

 Factors Causing Changes in  Impact of Changing

Critical Geographical Features Geographical Features
 Examples of Changing
Geographicl Features - Mealting
of Ice Sheets, Desertification etc.